Morning Wood Posted September 20, 2004 Share Posted September 20, 2004 Ok, here's my situation... The lady who lives next door to my closest friend owns a stocked pond. Said pond is very close to my home and I've had permission for a while now to go down there and have at it. Now while I prefer river or lake fishing, the location and productivity of this spot has persuaded me more often than not to give it another visit. In other words, I've made very good use of this privilege. The only stipulation is that I exercise catch and release. Not a problem with me, as I just enjoy being out there. Most of the fish there are midsize, but there are a few good keepers and one monster in there (8 lbs, 23 inches... I've had the luck of catching him 3 times). Yeah anyway, here recently I've had several instances where fish I've caught have just plain swallowed the hook. I mean, that sucker gets embedded deep in the poor fish's gullet. Whenever this happens, I cut the line, leaving the hook in there rather than trying to force it out and run the risk of ripping out the poor fella's innards. I also do this cause many of the tournament pros say that atrophy will expel the hook. My question is, do any of you know if this is indeed the case and if so, does the fish stand a chance at survival? Please let me know, because I don't want to endanger the population of the pond. No, I'm not some bleeding heart. I've kept plenty of river and lake fish I've caught before. I just don't enjoy the idea of possibly killing fish for no reason. And I also don't want to risk losing the privilege of fishing at the pond. Somebody please help me rest my conscience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntotoro Posted September 20, 2004 Share Posted September 20, 2004 I need sleep... I thought the subject said "@ss banglers" and just wanted to see what sort of depravity was going on here. I'll go away and get some sleep now... :laugh: Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morning Wood Posted September 20, 2004 Author Share Posted September 20, 2004 Sorry Nickster. Didn't mean to peak your interest only to let you down. If you're expectin something like that and ya get fishin talk instead, I imagine that would be quite the letdown. Although I gotta admit, if I saw the title you saw, I'd be inclined to have a look-see myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntotoro Posted September 20, 2004 Share Posted September 20, 2004 Well... when you think you're seeing "@ass banglers" posted by "Morning Wood," you start to get worried... :laugh: Sorry, man... I do sincerely hope you get the angling advice you're looking for, though... Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenaa Posted September 20, 2004 Share Posted September 20, 2004 Leave the hook and the fish will generally be fine if there isn't a lot of internal damage due to the fight. I fish a very similar pond and have same experience. Never seen any "floaters" after a fishing trip. However, there is plenty of research that a pure catch and release is as detrimental as overfishing. But, since there are large bass already, this is probably not a a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracka Posted September 21, 2004 Share Posted September 21, 2004 Most hooks rust out in the water after 3-4 weeks. The fish should be fine as long as you dont rip its insides out. You should tell me where your hole is so I can check out to make sure they are all healthy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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